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Flypaper

First Bell 2-13-13

Pamela Tatz
2.13.2013

A first look at today's most important education news:

Fordham's latest

"Student data scandal must prompt reform," by Aaron Churchill, Ohio Gadfly Daily

In last night’s State of the Union address, President Obama proposed a number of significant education initiatives—including a major expansion of pre-Kindergarten opportunities—on a budget. (Answer Sheet, Politics K–12, Hechinger Report, Huffington Post, and Wall Street Journal)

Michigan’s leaders consider an expansion of the Education Achievement Authority, a statewide district with a less structured curriculum and nonunion workforce that takes control over low-performing schools. (Wall Street Journal)

Mayor Gray attacked a proposed D.C. council bill that would require “prosecuting parents of chronically truant children,” arguing that it would be expensive, unnecessary, and a legislative overreach. (Washington Post)

Curriculum Matters contacted chemistry, physics, and biology groups for their feedback on the second draft of the Next Generation Science Standards; some of their criticism reflects our own.

New research finds that children who enter Kindergarten with a small vocabulary are never taught enough words—specifically, academic words—to close the gap. Curriculum Matters thinks about how this relates to the Common Core. (Education Week and Curriculum Matters)

Tags: Barack Obama Common Core Curriculum

Pamela Tatz is the Fordham Institute’s editorial associate, which affords her the dual privileges of managing the Education Gadfly publication and being the resident grammar czar; she has also worked as one of the office's hard-working research interns. Before joining Fordham, she studied political science and economics at Wayne State University, where her academic interests included…

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